FAITH CAPSULE: The enemy that comes to trouble will fail when there is no gap in one’s wall.

John 1:1-34
 
Throughout the Bible, it is clear that the Word of God is God. John 1:1-3 buttresses the truth that the Word of God is God stating, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” One that gains the understanding that by the Word all things were created should also gain theknowledge that the same Word that created all things is the strength of God.
The Psalmist states, “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.” (Psalm 37:39) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) In the testimonies of the Psalmist it can identified that the Word of God is also the strength of God that is available to deliver in the time of trouble. The Word of God (the strength of God) ever present for those that have it living in them.
Encountering trouble by a believer or unbeliever is inevitable. However, with a close relationship with the Word of God, trouble can never be too strong for a believer not to overcome.
The book of Jeremiah 7:6,points out how enemy brings troubleby stating, “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of man Tabel.”The protective wall of every believer is the Word of God. Jeremiah 7:6 stated that the attempt to get trouble in place for Judah was to make a gap in its wall. Are you aware of any gap in your wall? Is there any slight gap in your defense? Our defense is the Word of God; our refuge and our strength. When onebegins to skip spending time daily on the Word of God, one is creating a gap in his/her wall. The enemy will come against one to trouble but the enemy will fail when there is no gap in one’s wall. Our wall is the Word that cannot fail in strength to deliver and overcome.The challenge that faced Judah (as stated above) gives the picture to us how the enemy operates andit iswritten for our learning. The plan against Judah failed at that time because God did not allow the plan to stand. Just like it did not stand against Judah, so the plan of enemy that is gathering against us will not stand. Close every gap between you and the Word of God; be strengthened against your enemy.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for the grace to constantly set eyes upon Him so that deliverance will answer for you. He is able to will deliver.

FAITH CAPSULE: Excuses before God will not elevate but will only eliminate or exclude one from the blessings of God.

Genesis 3:8-24
 
When sacrifice unto God becomes convenient, there is susceptibility that it is no longer a reasonable sacrifice. However, whensacrifice unto God becomes a commitment,despite inconveniences that might be in place, the grace to conveniently engage a reasonable sacrifice will not cease from flowing.
Giving excuse is the best and most reasonable means for one to get away from one’s commitment to serving God outside or inside of the church fellowship. When the church fellowship calls for meeting such as choir practice, you have a good excuse not to be a part of it. Also when a call for prayer meeting is announced it sounds too late for your convenience. Often times the nursing home ministry is not a good time and does not have a place in your schedule. To man, giving excuse for not serving might be reasonable but to the Lord God that is in control of our time, there is no reasonable excuse.Do you have reasonable excuse for no availability serving God sacrificially? Before God, there is no excuse that is acceptable. The best given excuse till date does not count before Him and no excuse shall count before Him forever.
Truly, there was no documentation in the Bible where Adam asked God for a woman. However, it was God’s plan to give to Adam a woman. It is written, “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Adam did not ask God for a woman; therefore, he had a great excuse before God. Adam presented a reasonable excuse for violating God stating, “Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’” (Genesis 3:12)Just as it was clear during the time of Adam so it is clear today that, God made womangotAdamto do what God asked him not to do. Does your excuse sound reasonable like that of Adam? The most high God that never fail judging righteously responded to Adam, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:“Cursed is the ground for your sake;In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:17)Adam’s excuse failed and he was cursed. Eve and the serpent also had their share of curse.
Excuses before God will not elevate one; they will only eliminate one or exclude one from the blessings of God. The best excuse eliminated Adam from God’s blessings; best given excuse was not enough to restore the cost of the damage.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from excuses that have been denying and replacing you the center of God’s blessings.

FAITH CAPSULE: The ability to be stable in looking up to God in times of instability will establish one in power.

1Samuel 13:1-23

It is written, “Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead…” (1 Samuel 13:5-7) The fear of the Philistines took over the Israelites and they scattered.
King Saul got emotion in his reaction to the challenges of the Philistines. The bible recorded, “So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came…” (1 Samuel 13:9-10) King Saul was supposed to wait for Samuel for the burnt offering (which could only be performed by Samuel and not by King Saul). King Saul knew that he should never present the burnt offering, but went ahead and presented it anyway. Then Samuel showed up and reacted to Saul’s wrong emotion, “And Samuel said, ‘What have you done? Saul said, ‘When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash.’”(1Samuel 13:11) Saul allowed emotion to override what God commanded of him. As one anointed of God for an assignment, you must never let your feelings or emotions override God’s commandment, or you will not be established. Samuel made it clear to Saul that God would have established his kingdom over Israel forever, but his emotions caused him to be disobedient and thus, removed him from becoming established. Emotions can be dangerous if they are allowed to override the word of God. The ability to be stable in looking up to God in times of instability will establish one in power. Isaiah 59:1 states, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Whatever man beholds will hold man up or bring man down. We are to constantly behold the mighty hand of God which is strong enough to uphold us. Saul could not behold the hand of God but the move of men that surrounded him. The people scattered and he was compelled to make a rash decision. Wrong emotion replaced Saul from God’s plan for his life as a result he could not be established.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace to keep you focus on God in every confronting situation.

FAITH CAPSULE: Slow down and uncover the cause of these sudden changes in your journey.

Numbers 22
 
It was at the time Balak was the king of Moabites that the children of Israel moved and camped in the plains of Moab. The people of Moabites reacted to the large number of the Israelites with fear. As a result of the children of Israel’s camping, Balak the Moabites King reacted, “Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (Numbers 22:5-6)Balaam was a man that knows how to seek God but made a choice to go and answer to Balak’s request.
On the way going Balaam failed to pay attention to warning signals when his ride began to face challenges. While he was going to answer Balak’s request his donkey left the main route and began to roam from the field to the narrow paths–to vineyards and against the wall. All the redirection was to stop Balaam from answering where God did not call him. Having roamed around back and forth, the Angel of the LORD showed himself. Numbers 22:27, “And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’” As one that knows about how God operates, you do not have to go too far like Balaam before changing your route. Are you paying attention to the signals around you? You are experiencing unexpected changes in your journey which are sudden and they are happening too frequent. Your back road route is becoming blocked on a daily basis. Bumps in the road are causing you consistent delays, and your timely ride is bogged down with congestion. You need to slow down and uncover the cause of these sudden changes in your journey, because you are a person of faith, one that loves the Lord and serves Him from the heart.
Regardless of the purpose of your journey, pay attention to warning signals so that you may know if it is time to redirect your route for a change in your journey of life.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the word of direction to be a path to each and every step you take.

FAITH CAPSULE: Take the word of God into your heart and overtake your enemy.

Genesis 26:1-33
 
It is written, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”(Proverbs 16:7)The word of God is true indeed, it is true to perform and also true to perfect for those that receive and believe His word. One that receives the word sees what is received and when one begin to live by what is received, it answers for one. Why not receive and be living (believe) in the living word of God?
Isaac’s ways pleased the Lord and his enemies sought peace with him. In the time of challenging famine God spoke to Isaac, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.” (Genesis 26:2-3) Isaac obeyed God and he did not go down to Egypt. Isaac went and dwell in Gerar. At Gerar, he repeatedly had confrontations with the herdsmen of Gerar over the digging of wells. Every effort by Isaac and his servants to have a productive life at Gerar were interrupted by the herdsmen of Gerar. The herdsmen of Gerar kept taking away the wells that were dug by Isaac’s servants and would not leave them in peace. Isaac could have gone down to Egypt instead; he went to Beersheba and remained obedient to God’s ways. Those that had been tormenting Isaac with hatred turned around and looked for him to settle with a peace treaty. It is written, “And Isaac said to them, why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” But they said, we have certainly seen that the LORD is with you. So we said, ‘let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you.’’’(Genesis 26:27-28)  The herdsmen of Gerar encountered a change of mind towards Isaac when they saw God in him. They saw that the Lord was with Isaac. His walk and work for God made the difference. He was shining for God. How is your walk with God? How is your work in the Lord? Is there anything different in you compared to your next door neighbor who does not want to hear about the gospel? Let your light shine, let the gospel in you reflect that your neighbor shall come to understand and settle in peace. Know who you are and know not to be deceitful. The word of God is true and alive. Take the word of God into your heart and it will take over your life.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace that makes man to gain peace with his/her enemies.